Fifty-Fifty Seat For Cheap

I played in the RakeTheRake $32.5k freeroll for the players in their rakeback program today. Pretty much played like the donkey I am and went out really early with TT falling to JJ. My head has been aching since I cut the grass this afternoon and has me a bit distracted. I wish that was the only excuse for the crappy play, but I have been playing badly for a while now. I took some magic potions the brain wizard prescribed for me, ate a sammich, and played some FTPoints satellites for distractions. I went out 4th in the first one and won the second for a seat in tonight's 50-50. Woo Hoo!

So, I'll be playing the 50-50 tonight at 9:30 eastern and, if I can get this donkey head removed from my shoulders, maybe something good will happen. I'm sure the ranks will swell when we are closer to the start, but two hours out there are only 74 players signed on. The only one I recognize is Annette_15, the big winner of the WSPOE. There is one red-letter player, PearlJammer, who research shows is a hotshot in the 99.97 percentile of the Pocket Fives player database (whatever that means).

I am too much of a fonkey for any of this to worry me, it just means, this is going to be a fun game. Watch the twitter panel for the play-by-play. I'll update with a summary after I'm done.

Update: 1.5 Hours in.

Out in 477th of 982. Dealt AA in middle position. Make the 3x bet. Called by one. flop comes KJT. ick. bet pot, reraised all in. I really should be able to fold those. Lots of hand that would call beat me. But this time I lost to Q9o. double ick.

You Don't Say?

Reading poker blogs turned out an unexpected benefit for me tonight and one that had almost nothing to do with poker strategy or how to explain away crazy donkey moves.

I read a story on one of the blogs about a home game where the hero was surprised to discover that it was a raked game. (sorry cannot recall who and have not been able to dig it up with Google)

Thanks to that story I knew something was out of whack with the dealer getting tokes and pulling a rake in what was supposed to be 'friendly' game with a bunch of guys from the office.

I got out as quickly and graciously as I felt I could.

On the way down the driveway my friend apologized and said it took him by surprise too. We chalked it up as a lesson learned (ask more questions before hand).

[I had a lot more to say about this, but decided to delete it all. I am having some trouble being that open in my writing yet. That and giving out some of those details, even if not very specific, kind of makes me nervous.]

CC's Bash

I made it to CC's Bash tonight (the Jeep does not have to drive on the internet). I finished 7th out of 12.

The key hand for me was against 23Skidoo after which I was always short stack. We still had 6 people at the table. I am on the button, Skidoo is the big blind. I had KcQd, two folds, one limp, I raise to 4xBB, SB folds, Skidoo calls and the limper folds. Flop comes 9sKh3h. Skidoo bets 120 (a bit less than half pot). I raise to 350 and he calls. Ad on the turn and Skidoo bets 420 which is about half the pot and 3/4 my remaining stack. If figure if I'm calling I'm pushing and if I fold I have 15M. I fold. I can't decide whether I made the right play or chickened out. Skidoo says he had KJ.

I did get to play the Hammer once after that. From the BB all fold to the SB who bets 3x. My stack is about 3/4 his. I push and he thinks for a bit before folding. While he was thinking I had time to switch my muck options so I could show the hand.

I might get to play at Skidoo's tomorrow or at Kat's Donkament (or both maybe?).

Monday At The Hoy

Played in the MATH last night. No great shakes. Got a bit over anxious with my 77 in the cutoff. Raised was called by one. Flop was not coordinated, but did not have a 7. I go all in, get called, go home. [insert donkey sound here].

Played some at a non-blogger cash table while waiting on the blogger table and made a bit. Then played the blogger table and wound up about even. Laughed at some of the gang playing musical chairs for a while. To Say Nothing of the Dog, Fuel55's dog that is. I hope it survived the night.

It was a pleasant evening of pokering, all in all.

Favor to Ask

The score last week gives me a decent bankroll on Full Tilt. My PokerStars account, on the other hand, is sitting snuggly at zero. I am missing out on a bunch of blogger tournaments. If one of the three people reading this are interested in swapping some bucks, let me know in comments or by email (butchhoward gmail com).

Thanks in advance.

Tournament BuyIns are Strange

When I played the 26k Guaranteed this week at Full Tilt, I selected it on a whim mostly. I was looking at the tournament list, it was coming up in 15 minutes, and the fee was about what I had won in cash games over the weekend. I thought the worst and most like thing that could happen is that I would end up with a backroll about the same as it was the Friday before. So, not thought really given to the buyin or how it related to the guarantee.

Looking over the guaranteed tournaments last night, it struck me as odd the way some of them are priced:

$26 for the 26K
$75 for the 22k (double stack)
$26 for the 3k (limit)
$163 for the 40k (double stack)
$26 for the 19k
$26 for the 2k (limit Razz)
$33 for the 14k (rebuy)
$11 for the 10k (rebuy)
$109 for the 30k (double stack 6 max)

I just do not see a pattern to the buyin to guarantee ratio. What are their goals when setting the buyins for these things? Or are they just experimenting to see what gets them the best return?

Full Tilt 26k Guaranteed

This will be a boring post. I have decided to play the $26k Guaranteed at Full Tilt for $26 of my very few dollars. I am going to write it up as I go more or less.

Update: It got interesting. The short story is that I got 3rd.

1135 players. Prize pool is $27,240
180 Paid.
1 = 5k
2 = 3k
3= 2k
6 = 926
15 = 247
36 = 100
81 = 54
180 = 35


40 hands in. Playing nothing. Limping a few times. Bleeding. I must be playing way too tight.

M=12. QJo. Two limpers in front. Chicken out. Flop comes QJx two clubs. River is another Q. feck.

60 hands in. table change.

80 hands in. 100/200 1860 KQ Board: [2c Th 9d 9s Js] Called in two places. New Stack 5760.

Three hands latter TT. Bet 600 all fold.

94 hands in. 120/240/25. 275 remaining. I am 130th.

77 all in. All fold. 6025 stack. M=10.

150/300/25. 5565. 261 remaining.

A7o in the cutoff. All in. all fold. 6165.

KQ. all in. 6265. ll fold 6935.

Next hand. KK. All in. Called by AJo. I win. 13825. m=20. 20th of 245.

New table.

39o. Fold.
T3o. Fold.
K4o. Fold.
T6o (BB) Fold to a raise from early.
K3o (SB) Folded to me. Raise to 900. BB Folds.

2nd Break. 13875. 23rd of 223.
Largest 27,905
Average 7,634
Smallest 290

200/400/50. M=13.

J4o on the button. fold to raise.
QJo in the cutoff. folded to me. Raise 3xBB. all fold.
48d. fold
A8o. fold to 4xBB raise.
A4o. fold.
K7s. Fold.

A guy with a 13k Stack raised allin with 99 called by 5k stack with QT. Flop comes TTQ.

39o. fold.
35o (BB). Given a walk.
58o (SB) fold to 4k all in.
T4h. Fold to min raise.
K5o. Fold.
Radiohead's Optimisitic is playing on the music channel.
34o. Fold.
Q6s. Fold.
The stacks at the table starting with me and going left:
14725, 2445, 12k, 11k, 13k, 5k, 17k, 31k, 4k

2Th. Fold.
new table
new stacks. 14k, 11k,8k, 25k, 6k, 8k, 8k, 14k, 29k
250/500/50. 30 of 187.
T2s. Fold.
89o. Fold to 2700 raise from 25k stack.
30 of 181.
Q6s. Fold.
33 of 180.
65o. Fold.
Q2o. Fold.
75o (BB). Check option. 6QT. 1300 bet from the other guy. fold.
Q8o (SB). 2200 bet from button. fold.
45o. raise to 1k from 23k stack in EP. fold.
5To. fold.
300/600/50. M=10.
K6o. fold.
There are 3 m<5 stacks at the table spread evenly around.
K3o. Fold.
75o. fold.
T6o. Fold.
It is 12:40am. I should be in bed.
ATo UTG. Fold. Wimp? From the IHO phrasebook (buried in a long story): Question? Answer.
T2o (BB). Check with one limper ahead. board JJ723. check. 29k stack thinks then checks. check. check. check. I win against QT.
62o (SB) fold.
77. 1800. raise to 3000. all fold.
K5o. Fold.
82s. Fold.
TT. 3.5k allin. me all in with 17k. KQ against me. I hold up.
22k stack now. 18th of 125.
new table. stacks: 22k, 36k, 6k, 22k, 19k, 4k, 12k, 8k, 21k
400/800/100.
6To. fold.
J5s. fold.
K3o. Fold.
77 (BB). folded to SB who completes. I raise to 3k. he goes all in 19k. I fold.
QJo (SB) folded to me. raise to 3k. BB goes all in 34k. I fold. he shows QQ.
Q7o. Fold.
15k stack. 46th of 108.
Kqo. Folded to one before me. he rases to 2222. I go all in 15k. folds back to him. he folds. 19k.
J5o. fold.
Q3o. fold.
500/1000/125. M=7. Big stack is 51k. Average stack is 17k. I have 19k.
35o. fold.
J9o. Fold.
Q8o. fold.
J3o (BB) fold to min raise from 26k stack in EP.
J2o (Sb). fold to 3k bet from 35k stack in ep.
AJo. hmmm. folds to me. all in. folds all around.
T2d. Fold.
ATo. folds to me. all in 19k. folds to bb 13k. he thinks then folds. 22k.M=8.
T4o. fold.
KTs. folds to me. all in 22k. called by AA with 19k. Board comes: 63982 three spades. I win.
J9o. fold.
79o. fold.
AKh. 36k stack raise to 4k. 20k stack goes all in. I fold. 36k calls with kq. allin had QQ 36k had KQ. QQ held.
J2o. fold.
QJo. (button). folds to me. raise to 5k. folds all around.
J6o. fold.
6th of 83. 600/1200/150. M=13
53o. fold.
QJo. Fold.
52d. Fold.
J9o. Fold.
92h. Fold.
58o (BB) fold to 10k allin.
53o (SB) fold to 7k all in followed by 22kallin. 77 against AK, 7 on the flop seals it.
A4o. fold to 12k all in.
K5o. fold to 4k bet from 36k stack.
AJh. fold to 15k all in. Question? Answer.
Q6o. fold.

break.
800/1600/200
40284. 8 of 70. M=9. Stacks ahead of me: 43k, 50k, 60k, 66k, 70k, 104k, 118k
stacks at my table: 40k, 39k, 10k, 28k, 40k, 23k, 19k, 13k, 18k

Q9c. fold. UTG+1.
T7o. fold.
9Td (BB) fold to SB. he thinks and folds.
K4c (SB). 18k stack raise to 7k. I fold.
84o. fold.
42o. Fold.
A7h. Folds to me. All in 40k. all fold.
58o. fold to 9k all in.
K6o. fold.
A8h. UTG. Fold. I am definitely a wimp it seems.
94o (BB). fold to 5k raise by 40k stack.
J3o (Sb). fold to 5k raise.
KTo. fold to 10k all in.
T3o. fold.
69o. fold.

1000/2000/250. M=7. 13 of 55. New Table.

K7o. Fold to 5k raise.
Hey, there's the big stack 114k guy.
86s. Fold.
K4o. fold to 6k bet.
53o UTG. Fold.
KJo (BB). SB completes. I go all in,. he folds.
K9o (SB). 7k bet ahead by 114k stack. I fold.
QQ. 9k bet by 34k stack with k8. QQ holds. I am at 81k now. My heart is kind of pounding.
T3o. fold.
67o. fold.
92o. fold.
5th of 44.
J7s. fold.
Q9o. fold.
94o (BB) fold to 17k all in
58o (SB). fold to 6k bet from The Big Stack.
QTo.folds to me on the button. I raise to 8k. blinds fold.
J3o. fold to 7k bet.
74o. fold.
93o. Fold.

1200/2400/300 80758. M=13. 5th of 41.

Q9o. fold.
92d. Fold.
JTo (BB). SB completes. I check. both check the flop. J onthe turn. I bet 5k he folds.
AQo. Folded to me. 10k bet. BB folds.
63o. Fold.
Q8h. fold to 8k bet from The Big Stack.
42c. fold.
ATd. folds to me. 10k bet. folds to 8k stack. he thinks and folds.
K9o. fold.
A5o. fold

93k stack. 4th of 37.

24o (BB). fold to 6k bet from UTG (Vincent Gambini)
K9o (SB). fold to 8k bet from cutoff's 70k stack.

1500/3000/400 M=12. 5th of 34.

AJo. folds to me on the button. bet 12k. all fold.
T7o. fold to 9k from The Big Stack.
Q5o. fold.

Small stack at the table is also small stack overall and has been all his time everytime hoping to get below 36 for the extra $20. He is there now and is all in on every hand with a 3k stack. 3 times and now he is at 12k.

Q2o. Fold.
35o. Fold.
94o. Fold.
82o. Fold.
AQo (BB). The Big Stack bet 9k. I raise to 25k. He folds.
38o. Fold.
Q6o. Fold.
93h. Fold.
7To. Fold.
92o. Fold.
36o. Fold.
Q9o (BB) folds to me
Q6o. fold to 12k bet.
75o. Fold.

2000/4000/500 M=9 4th of 26.

23o. Fold.
Q5o. Fold.
J5o. Fold.
J9o. Fold.
57h. Fold.
98h UTG. Fold.
K4o. fold to 67k all in.
A6h (Sb). fold to 15k bet.
QJo. fold to 87k all in.
59o. fold.
K7o. fold to 67k all in (87k above that lost AT to 44).
KQd. folded to me raise to 20k. folds all around.
46c. fold. QQ v. AQ. v TT. TT wins when a t hits the flop and triples up.
K2o. Fold.
7Td (BB). fold to 12k bet from Ep.
49d (Sb) folds to me. bet 20k. SB folds.
2500/5000/600
35o. fold to 50k all in followed by 100k all in. T9 v JJ. board comes AAKKQ for a chop.
35s. fold.
Q4o. fold.
36c. fold.
J8o. Fold.
The new Biog Stack is 188k now. Average is 77k. I have 103k. He sits on my right.
38o. fold.
57o (BB). fold.
A5o (SB). fold to 5k bet.
KQo on the button. all in. folds around.
JTs. fold to 15k bet from Mr. 188k.
89o. Fold.
J7o. Fold.
A7d vs KK i go all in with 102k get called by 50k. A7x on the flop for two pair.
92o (BB) fold.

On a break.

3000/6000/750 150k. 4th of 20. M=9.

I'm not bored any more, are you?

34o (SB). folds to me. raise to 20k. BB folds.
Q9o. fold.
46h. fold to 20k bet.
Q7o. fold
63o. fold
93o. fold
Q6c (BB) folds to me
94o. fold
K5h. fold
A9o. fold to 20k bet from Mr. Big.
5To. fold
85o. fold
A2o (BB) fold to 2kall in followed by 91k all in. A5 v A6 with a 6 on the flop.
48c fold to 56k all in
A9o fold to 58k bet from 100k stack
46h fold to 86k all in
J2o. fold
Q5o. fold
79o. fold
JTo UTG. fold

Folding these marginal hands because there are 4 30-60k stacks scattered around the table going all in a lot.

35o (BB) folds around to me
46o fold to 30k all in
5To fold

4000/8000/1000 m=7

J3o fold
J5d fold
T3o fold
59c fold
52o (BB) fold to 35k all in folled by 100k al in KK v A9. 55x on the flop.
Q2o fold
Q5o fold
56o fold
J3o fold
64o fold
8Tc (BB) 8th of 10. Folded to SB who completes. I check. Flop has Axx one club. Turn in Jc. Sb checks. I go all in. he folds.
82o fold
47o fold to 33k bet
5Th fold

5000/1000/1000 130k stack m=5 7th of 10

J7o fold
56o (BB) fold to 26k bet from 200k stack
J2h fold to 30k bet from 200k stack
77 on the button. all on 110k. folds around.
K5s fold to 30 bet from Mr. Big who showed KK

6th of 9

52o fold
34o (BB) walk in the park
T7o (SB) fold to 30k bet from 450k stack.

I have to get up and let the dog out before he pees on the carpet. I manage it between hands.

KKvQQ Mr450k against 100k. now there are 8. My hands are shaking.

2To. fold. [134k] now there are 7
J2d fold to 30k bet followed by 118k allin 77vAq not help. now there are 5
KTo. all in folds around.
AA allin folds around [173k)
A2c fold.
J8o (BB) walk in the park
36h (Sb) fold in fear of 250k BB
J3o fold.
There are two 50k stacks, a 900k, me at 200k
JJ all in folds around [200k]
Q5o fold
83o fold

down to 5

65o (BB) missing SB. fold to big bet from 900k stack
J8o fold to 46k all in and now there are 4

I am afraid to look at the payouts for fear it will make me more nervous.

75h fold.
J5o (BB) fold to 137k allin

I looked. 4th is 1700

T6o fold to 36k bet from Mr900k.
62c fold
KJo. all in. 149k called by Mr 400k with AJ. K on the turn and I have 300k.
KQo 35k bet from 260k stack I go all in he folds.
AKc I bet 200k all fold
Ako I 120k all fold
A5c I bet 60k all fold
Q4o (BB) fold to 100k all in follow bu all in from Mr, Big makes his flush and we are 3
KT bet 100k all fold
Q8c fold to 54k bet from Mr. Big

Nelson just woke up from sleeping on the couch and asked if I was crazy for being up so late. I asked him to come watch while I finished up. He does and is very excited.

8000/16000/2000

A2s fold
73o fold

400km 200k 1M

Q8o fold to MrBig

99 (Sb) MrBig bets 62k I go all in for 380k. He thinks and thinks and calls with A7. A on the river and IGHN.

$2206.44 for 3rd.

Nelson went back to bed.

Mary is at work tonight. I sent her a text message:

Me: Played tournament got third of 1100 for $2200.
Mary: Is that $22.00 or $2200
Me: The big number
Mary: WOW

I am going to bed now.

Hotels, Internet, and Poker

The Hyatt on Coastline drive was a nice place to stay. Better than most of the hotels we end up with on these cheer trips. The convention center was not attached, but was a short drive and there were full-sized bus shuttles running every 15 minutes which was nice. The Landings food court was an easy 5 minute walk and was decent for a mall-type food court during the day (c.f. The Adventure).

I have a decent understanding of price sensitivity and the reasons why cheap hotels provide internet free where more expensive hotels charge for it. It still irritates me that they charge for it.

I did get to play a little poker on Full Tilt over the weekend that at least it paid for the internet fees if not much more.

Full Tilt Bonus Offer

Full Tilt has some targeted bonus offers for some of us. The one that came in for me was $50 to be cleared in 14 days at $0.06 per FPP paid out in $5 increments. So each $5 would take about 84 points. That would take about 10 hours at the stakes I play. I am going to take it, but I do not expect to clear it all. I am going to wait to kick it off until I get back home to have the best chance to clear most of it.

Jeep Tilt

I really like my Jeep. Really, really like it. It's long been paid for. It can carry just the right number of people. It's great for camping and fishing trips around the National Forest in north Georgia. It's good for hauling a canoe around. It fits reasobably well in the wacky ATL traffic. It has 267k miles on it. It might have reached the end of its road tonight, though.

I was supposed to be at CC's losing money to the ATL Poker Bloggers. Instead I was calling road service. I got close enough to see the entrance sign of his neighborhood when the Jeep died. I debated walking on to his house, but decided trying to get a tow later in the night after losing all my money to the Poker Bloggers was probably not a good plan. Better to play a bit tight for this hand, I think.

I was not really surprised that the Jeep died. I have been driving for the past month knowing that each trip might not end where I had planned. This time it died and would not restart after resting for a while as it has twice a week for several weeks. That means I will probably have to spend money to get it fixed. The Good News is that if finally died and would not restart. That might sound odd, but it really will make it easier for the shop to find out what is broken if it actually behaves as broken while they have it. When I took it in last month it would not act badly for them. Their guess was one of three things could be the cause and I could either gamble on each one until the right one was replaced or drive it till it died and gamble that it would not die at a really really bad moment.

It's bad that I did not get to CC's for the game, but bad in a Sad Panda kind of way (well not exactly that way), not in a Get Hit By A Toilet From Space kind of way.

I am home now.

Thank's for the invitation CC. Maybe next time I can actually get to the door.

Forgot and Missed, but still did OK.

Yesterday I signed up for the +EV tournament on PokerStars. Forgot about it today. I finished 11th out of 22 without even being there.

Mookie 2nd Chance

Limit HORSE.

H is for HoldEm

and those other letters stand for other games...

WWDN

I played in the WWDN last night. I hadn't really intended to play. I was just scanning to see who was at the tables and found Skidoo in the tournament. I was just going to sweat him for a while and noticed that late registration was still open. So, what the heck.

Nothing much happened good or bad until the blinds were 75/150. I Crippled TransFish when I raised 2.5xBB with AK, she went all in with AQ, and I called. I am not sure it was really smart of me to call the all in since I really expected her to show a small pair and she had me covered by about 200. I also don't know why I was willing to take a coin flip here, but chickened out later when Pauly minraised my flop bet and I had TT on a K93 flop. I busted going all in with AJ when rmitz had AK.

Then I joined Wil Wheaton in the WWDN second chance. I was doing ok, but busted when my QQ ran into Mungo's AK and he flopped the flush.

I finished 13th in both tournaments, but out of 43 in the first and 15 in the second. I made up my buyins in the cash game I was playing at the same time so it all worked out good and was fun.

Atlanta Poker Bloggers Tour - the Skidoo Event

That was fun. And terrifying. But more fun than terror. The poker was definitely fun. And the terror was all in my head, of course. It's the same terror I have about going to the mall or the grocery store: People. These people were friendly, interesting, and fun to be with so my brain settled down after an hour or so. Thanks to 23Skidoo for inviting me and everyone there for making it a good evening.

I think I made up for not playing the hammer in HUC4. Early in the first tournament, weak_player said that for the night the hammer would be called by its original name, The Beer Hand, and when it was dealt it would be time to get a beer. As he was saying this, CC dealt just that hand to me. I took that as a sign from the FSM to make up for past misdeeds. I raised it from early position. Everybody folded and I showed the cards. I stuck with my caffeine free diet coke instead of a beer, but it was still good for a laugh.

Hey, I met a real live scientist who creates glow in the dark fish. Poker is fun and all, but glow in the dark fish, now that is really cool.

HUC4 Round One Win

This is me running through the streets buck nekkid yelling, "I beat TripJax." Or as close as I can get this time of year in this neighborhood.

That is my pennance. For though I did play the beginner card and luckbox out a win, I also forsook the sacred hand twice. Once each in two of the games.

I have asked the FSM for forgiveness instead of the pennance dealt by the Trinity Of Jacks. I just hope it's enough.

Note to others: Never play JJ against TripJax, not matter what he is holding. It just does not work.

HUC4

I am going to take a flyer and try out the Heads Up Challenge.

Bad Beat on Cancer

As Kat says, Sign Up Now



Then let's shower her with Dial-A-Shots.